ISSN:
0308-0501
Keywords:
Chemistry
;
Polymer and Materials Science
Source:
Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000
Topics:
Architecture, Civil Engineering, Surveying
,
Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Production Engineering, Mining and Metallurgy, Traffic Engineering, Precision Mechanics
Notes:
The behaviour of three typical thermoplastic polymers - polypropylene (PP), polyamide 6 (PA-6), ABS and PP mixed with inert talc or fire retardant magnesium hydroxide or melamine - was assessed in the Cone Calorimeter and in traditional widely used tests. It is seen that the evaluation of the relative fire hazard of the materials, based on simple parameters, can be very different depending on the test used, particularly in the presence of additives. From this point of view, the Cone Calorimeter introduces an additional evaluation which might be as arbitrary as that obtained with any other test. For example, melamine, which is currently used as a fire retardant in several polymers, may be considered as a fire-hazardous additive in PP burned in the Cone Calorimeter if only the maximum of rate of heat release is considered. The data discussed here indicate that the use of the Cone Calorimeter for simple evaluation of materials requires further investigation. It is hown that the Cone Calorimeter is a very promising tool for mechanistic studies on combustion and fire retardance, when its potential in terms of quantitative description of the whole combustion is fully used.
Additional Material:
15 Ill.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/fam.810190306
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